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Students
Tuition Fee
GBP 1,820
Per year
Start Date
Medium of studying
On campus
Duration
9 months
Program Facts
Program Details
Degree
Bachelors
Major
Career and Technical Education | Special Education | Teacher Training
Area of study
Education
Education type
On campus
Timing
Part time
Course Language
English
Tuition Fee
Average International Tuition Fee
GBP 1,820
Intakes
Program start dateApplication deadline
2025-08-01-
About Program

Program Overview


BA Teaching Qualification for Further Education (TQFE) - in-service

Overview

The BA Teaching Qualification for Further Education (TQFE) - in-service is a part-time course designed for lecturers in Further Education or vocational education. This course is available to students domiciled in Scotland and is accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).


Key Facts

  • Award: BA, University Diploma
  • Start date: August 2025
  • Duration: 9 months
  • Mode of study: part-time
  • Delivery: on campus

Accreditations

  • General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS)

Top Reasons to Study with Us

  • We're ranked Top 5 in Scotland, and Top 15 in the UK for Education (The Complete University Guide 2025)
  • We’re one of only four universities in Scotland to offer TQFE qualifications
  • We offer flexible study modes. Students can elect to study online or via a blended approach (combining in-person sessions on campus with online activities), and make their choice on a module-by-module basis.

Professional Accreditation

  • We’re accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), so you can register with the GTCS when you graduate.

Entry Requirements

University Diploma

  • Higher National Certificate (HNC) at Level 7 on the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) or equivalent.
  • This pathway is for students where an HNC is the highest qualification available in the UK in that subject area.

BA Degree

  • Higher National Diploma (HND) at Level 8 on the Scottish Credit Qualification Framework (SCQF) or equivalent.
  • Equivalent recognised qualifications are:
    • Senior Award from the City and Guilds ‘Professional Recognition Award’ (Affiliateship Level).
    • Other qualifications which are equivalent to an HND or HNC may be considered.

Literacy and Numeracy Skills

  • A National Qualification Course in English at level 6 on the SCQF (or suitable evidence of being able to attain this standard) or SQA communication level III.
  • A National Qualification Course in numeracy or Mathematics at level 4 on the SCQF (or suitable evidence of being able to attain this standard).

ICT Skills

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills equivalent to Intermediate 2 (i.e. level 5 on the SCQF).

Mathematics

  • Mathematics Standard Grade (3), National 5 (C), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent.

International Entry Requirements

  • View the entry requirements for your country

Application Procedure

  • You can apply for this course using our direct online application form.
  • Apply for University Diploma Teaching Qualification for Further Education (in-service)
  • Apply for Bachelor of Arts Teaching Qualification for Further Education (in-service)

Other Routes of Entry

Recognition of Prior Learning

  • If you have any of the following prior Professional Development Awards (PDA's), you’ll undertake a 20 credit APL module as your final module on the course:
    • Group Award Code: G85D 18 ‘Advanced Diploma Teaching in Further Education’
    • Group Award Code: GG87 49 ‘PDA Teaching Practice in Scotland’s Colleges’
    • Group Award Code: GG82 49 ‘Developing Teaching Practice in Scotland’s Colleges’

Exemptions

  • If you’re a postgraduate candidate who has the DELTA (or equivalent) award, you’ll be exempt from the final course module.

English Language Requirements

  • If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
    • IELTS Academic or UKVI 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each sub-skill.
    • Pearson Test of English (Academic) 60 overall with a minimum of 59 in each sub-skill.
    • IBT TOEFL 78 overall with a minimum of 17 in listening, 18 in reading, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.

Course Details

  • You’ll be awarded with a BA or University Diploma when you complete the course.
  • Over one academic year you’ll take modules at SCQF Level 9, worth 120 points.
  • This course is available to those currently working in post-compulsory education (i.e. an FE college or similar institution) and you’ll take the course part-time.
  • Your workplace teaching forms an integral part of the course.

Modules

  • Learner Identity and Diversity
  • Teaching and Assessment
  • Teaching Practice 1 and 2 (teaching observations)
  • Professional Experiential Learning
  • An elective from:
    • Professional Practice, or
    • Adult Education or International Comparative and Further Education.

Teaching

  • This TQFE course is offered to you as either online study or blended study (a mixture of online and on-campus classroom teaching).
  • Canvas, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), is used extensively as a significant element of the TQFE course.
  • We provide a wide variety of digital resources for you to access online, including: recordings of all lectures; e-journals and e-books.

Assessment

  • For each module you’ll complete formal written assignments, each of 2,000 words.
  • You’ll also be observed teaching at work on two separate occasions.
  • Each observation involves a written reflective exercise based on professional dialogue with your observer.

Classroom Hours

  • 10 face-to-face teaching days are offered either on our campus or as synchronous online sessions.

Study Abroad

  • Not available on this course.

Contact

  • Dr Kevin Brosnan, Course Director

Fees and Funding

Fees and Costs

  • Annual tuition fee for Scottish students: £1,820
  • This tuition fee is set by the Scottish Government and may be subject to change.
  • You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.

Additional Costs

  • There are some instances where additional fees may apply.
  • Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips.

Funding

  • See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.

Cost of Living

  • If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs.
  • This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.

After You Graduate

What Jobs Can You Get with a TQFE Course?

  • The TQFE course provides you with the required qualification for lecturing in further education in Scotland.
  • Our course also attracts students from beyond the college sector.
  • Some of our students come from Adult Learning organisations, the police, fire and ambulance services, as well as charities and other training providers.

Companies We Work With

  • Lecturers from the following colleges have undertaken the TQFE course at Stirling in the past:
    • Ayrshire College
    • City of Glasgow College
    • Edinburgh College
    • Fife College
    • Forth Valley College
    • Glasgow Kelvin College
    • Inverness College
    • New College Lanarkshire
    • South Lanarkshire College
    • West Lothian College

What Our Students Said

  • View more student stories

Fraser Hainey

  • Scotland
  • PGCert Teaching Qualification in Further Education (TQFE) - In-service

"The TQFE lecturers were very helpful and informative. Due to the nature of the course, a lot of work was done outside the University, but the teaching staff had plenty of communication with me. This was very helpful and reassuring."


Ciaran O’Neill

  • Scotland, United Kingdom
  • PGCert Tertiary Education with Teaching Qualification (Further Education) - In-service

"Wonderful location and setting – excellent, knowledgeable academic staff and fabulous use of various resources available. The combination of lectures and workshops / seminars was what I liked most. Theory and practice is, in my opinion, the most potent form of learning."


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